Dredger.



Patented July l, |902. s. A. PERRY.

D R E D G E B (Application led Nov. 6, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(lo Model.)

No. 703,8!7. l Patented July l, |902.

*3. A. PERRY.

D R E D G E B. (Appliceian med Nov. e, 1900.)

(No Modem 2 shuts-.smi 2.

NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE;

RAYMOND A. PERRY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOATLANTIC GULF AND PACIFIC COMPANY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.,

ANI? SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF VEST VIRGINIA.

DREDGER..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letter-straten No. 703,817, datedruiy 1,1902.A Application filed November 6, 1900. Serial No.35,630. [.Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND'A. PERRY,` a citizen of the United States,residing inthe city and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented an Improvement in Dredgers; and I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in 1o apparatus for dredgingandexcavating soil, and is especially designed to be used where suchexcavations are made in material which is submerged beneath water.

It consists in a mechanism by which the I5 excavation is produced by aforward-reciprocating movement in the line of the boat and apparatus,means for the allowing of such movement and the corresponding extensionof the conveying-pipes, and mechanism for re- 2o tracting the apparatusafter the forward c ut has been completed and'placing it to make anothercut parallel with the first, whereby a series of cuts are made radiallyoutward from a fixed point exterior to and at the rear 'of thedredge-boat.

My invention also comprises armeans for advancing the xed center andbringing it up to the rear of the dredge-boat after a complete cut hasbeen made, so as to place the apparatus in position for another forwardcut.`

It also comprises a novel arrangement of cutters operating in the lineof movement of the dredge-boat and a suction-pipe and sections havinghorizontally-elongated'mouths transverse to the line of movement andextending behind the seriespof excavators'.

My invention also comprises details of construction which will be morefully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-. V

Figure l is a longitudinal elevation of my dredger. Fig. 2 is a plan ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the forward part of the ladder. Fig. Il:is an end view of the rotary cutters. Fig. 5 is a plan of the same.

In the art of dredging with apparatus in which the dredged material isdisposed of by means of suction-pumps and conveying-pipes it has beencustomary to swing the dredgeboats about a pivot located within the boatYboat from one side to another.

The cutters of my invention are designed to cut in the direct line offorward movement of the dredge-boat, andthe conveyingpipes aretelescoped and slidable, so as to allow of such movement while theexcavating is taking place and to allow the pipes to be again shortenedwhile the boat is withdrawn and placedover another cut.

In the present case I have shown a boat or scow A, which is .termed adred,f.,reboat,7 upon which is mounted the engine or motor and necessarymachinery connecting with a ladder 2, which is hinged to one end of thisboat and is capable of swinging up and down about its horizontal hinges,but without any independent side motion with relation to the boat.

A suitably braced and supported mast 3 is So fixed upon the boat, withhoisting-tackle of any usual or well-known description connecting withthe ladder, whereby the latter may be raised during the progress of thecut or allowed to descend to the bottom.

Upon the inner or hinged end of the ladder is mounted a motor 4 of anysuitable character, and through the necessary train of gearing power iscommunicated to drive a shaft 5, which is journaled and extends cen- 9otrally along the ladder to the front end, where it carries abevel-pinion 6,*and this engages with a corresponding beveled gear?,mounted upon the shaft 8. This shaft carries a series of cutters 9, ofwhich there may be as 95 many as required to make a cut of the desiredwidth.

The shaft 8 is journaled in boxes carried by the front timbers of theladder 2, which timbers extend transversely, as shown.

IOO

The cutters 9 are of such form and character that 'being pushed againstthebank ot' earth to be excavated they will continually loosen and breakit down, and the material thus loosened is drawn into the suction-pipe10 by means of the suction-pump 11, carried upon the dredge-boat anddriven by suitable motor and intermediate connecting mechanism.

By means of 'a flexible joint at 12, having the same axis of movement asthe head of the ladder, the pipe is allowed to follow the movements ofthe ladder without impeding the passage of the material. Any suitablejoint, such as the well-known ball-joint, may be employed at this point.

The main suction-pipe 10 is here shown as dividing into two branches 13,which diverge from the main pipe, and these branches are flattened anddiverge at the mouth, so as to form wide rectangular openings 14, thecombined length of which is equal to the transverse distance occupied bythe cutters, and these mouths open just behind the cutters, so thatmaterial loosened thereby will b e drawn into these mouths and thenceconducted to the main suction-pipe 10 and delivered through the pump 11,passing through the discharge-pipe section 15,which is mounted upon theboat A. In the rear of this boat is a second boat 16, and this boat hasguides 17, through which vertical spuds, so called, are driven to anchorand hold this second boat firmly in position. Upon the front of thissecond boat and behind the boat A is a horizontally-operating device 18,the lower part of which is fixed to the boat and the upper part isturnable with relation thereto. Through the upper portion of this devicepasses a strong horizontally-disposed timber or arm 19, the front end ofwhich is fixed upon the dredgeboat A, the rear end being slidable, asbefore described, through the turnable member of the device 18. Thistimber or arm serves to move the dredge-boat forward with relation tothe anchored boat 16, and this is effected by means of chains or cables20, passing around blocks 22, by which any desired multiplication ofpower may be effected, and finally upon a windingdrum, as at 23, bywhich the chain or cable can be wound up, and through the power-thusdeveloped the timber 19 is forced forward with relation to the fixedboat 16, and the boat A is thus moved directly Ain line therewith, sothat the excavators will continually dig and break down a section ofmaterial in the line of forward movement of the boat A to a distanceequal to the forward movement effected by the mechanism hereindescribed.

It will be manifest that some means must be employed for lengthening thedischargepipe 15 in unison with theforward movements of the boat A, andthis is effected by a telescopic joint composed of an outer straightsection of tube 24, within which the section 25 is slidable through asuitable stuffing-box,

the length of this telescopic section being sufficient for the requiredadvance of the boat A.

When a cut has been completed to as great a distance as desired, theboat A is drawn back to the boat 16 by meansof a rope or chain 26,passing through blocks 27, by which power is multiplied to any desiredextent, thence around guide-pulleys 28, and thence to the winding-drum23, so that by winding in this rope or cable and correspondingly lettingout the cable 2O the boat A m-ay be drawn back to the boat 16, thetimber 19 sliding through its guide as it is retracted. It will bemanifest that by reason of the turnable nature of this guide about itsvertical axis the boat A may be turned to a very considerable angle withthe anchor-boat 16. Thus the length from the guide 1S to the excavatorsat the front of the ladder will form the radius of the arc through whichthe boat and excavators may be made to swing during the work ofexcavation; but it is to be understood that no side or swinging movementtakes place while the excavation is going on. The boat or scow A,carrying the excavator, is forced forward by the power-brought to bearupon the beam 19 through the cables and is thus forced forward tocontinually keep the excavator up to its work.

After the excavation has been completed to the full length of its cutthe boat and excavator are withdrawn in the same line and are afterwardplaced in the line of. a new cut parallel with the first made, and thuseach cut is made in the line of the boat until the whole width of thecut has been made from extreme side to side. It is then necessary toadvance the apparatus in readiness for a new series of cuts. This iseffected by temporarily xing the boat A by means ot' a Spud which issunk into the bottom while the boat is drawn away to its greatestdistance from the anchored boat 16. The spuds or anchors of the boat 16arethen withdrawn by suitable tackle, and this boat is moved forwarduntil it is brought close to the boat A, the telescope-joint at 24 25sliding and closing up until the boats are close together. The materialwhich passes through the discharge-pipe 15 and through this telescopicjoint passes also through a discharge-pipe 30, which is sup-- portedupon the boat 16.

31 is a ball-j oint, the axis of which is in vertical line with the axisof the guide 18, so that in turning the boat A about the boat 16 whenthe latter is anchored this joint moves in unison with the guide andmaintains communication between the pipes 15 and 30.

In order to allow the boat 16 to advance, as previously described, it isalso necessary to provide for an extension of the pipe 30. This iseffected by sliding one section into another and forming a telescopicjoint upon the rear part of the boat 16, as shown at 32, the outer tubeof this joint being connected with the extension of the discharge-pipe,which is carried rearwardly from the boat 16 to any re- IOO IIO

quired point of discharge, while the inner slidable section of the jointis connected with the part 30 and advanced with it whenthe boat 16 isadvanced up to the boat A. When this advance of the boat 16 iscompleted, the spuds or anchors are again fixed to render the boat 16immovable, and the spud or anchor temporarily used to hold the boat A isremoved, so that the latter is in condition to again be advanced. Thesemovements having been completed, the apparatus is then ready for a newcut, the telescope-joint 24 25 being closed, and the excavators can thenbe movedforward to commence a new cut. This construction enables me tofirst make a cut of the desired width by successive forward movements ofthe excavator, making independent cuts side by side and radially in linefrom the turnable guide on the fixed float and after such a cutis madeto advance the whole apparatus into position to make a second cutwithout stopping to insert new lengths of conducting-pipe or otherwiseproviding for such advance.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a dredger, a means for making a succession of forward cutscentering from a fixed point at the rear of said dredge.

2. In a dredger, an excavator, suction and conducting pipes and asupporting float, a xed point behind the float around which the dredgerswings, slidable joints in the conducting-pipes, and means for advancingthe excavator and float in any direction with relation to said pointwhile cutting.

3. In a dredger, an excavator, suction and conducting pipes and asupport therefor, a fixed point in rear of said support around which thedredger swings, a slidably-extensible joint in the conductor, means bywhich the excavator and its support may be advanced to cut in differentradial lines outwardly from the xed point, and means for retractingthese parts after each cut.

4. In a dredger, an excavator, a float and a ladder projecting forwardof the float and upon which the excavator is carried, a suction-pipehaving its mouth opening contiguous to the excavator, a discharge-pipeconnecting therewith and leading rearwardly toward a fixed point, afixed structure at the rear of the float, a turnable guide mountedthereon, and means for moving the fioat and the excavator in a forwarddirection away from and in line with the said fixed point during thecutting operation.

5. In a dredger and excavator, a fioat, a ladder hinged to the frontthereof upon which the excavator is adjustably carried, a suctionpipecarried upon the ladder having its mouth contiguous to the excavator, adischarge-pipe leading rearwardly across the float having a telescopicslidable section thereon, a turnable guide mounted upon a fixed supportaxially in rear of the float, a ball-and-socket joint in turnable guidemounted thereon, a slidable c beam fixed to the front float and movablethrough the turnable guides and `means whereby said beam and the frontfloat and excavator are advanced with relation to the guide.

7. In a dredger, a float having a ladder hinged to the front, anexcavator carried upon the front of the ladder, and means for removingthe excavated material, a second float fixed in line at the rear of thefirst float, and having a turnable guide mounted thereon, abeam slidablethrough said guide having its front end fixed to the forward float, acable or the like connecting with the rear end of said beam and awinding-drum upon`one of the fioats to coil said cable, whereby saidbeam and the forward fioat are advanced with relation to the fixed fioatand the guide 8. In a dredger, a float having a `ladder hinged to thefront, an excavator carried upon the front of the ladder, and means forremoving the excavated material,a second float fixed in line at the rearof the first float and having a turnable guide mounted thereon, a beamslidable through said guide having its front end fixed to the forwardfioat, a winding-drum and cables connected withthe beam whereby theladder, and the forward fioat may be advanced and retracted withrelation to the fixed float.

9. In a dredger, a float having a ladder hinged to the front, anexcavator carried upon the front of said ladder, suction and dischargepipes by which the excavated material is transferred rearwardly from theexcavator and float, a second `float fixed at the rear of thefirst-named fioat having a turnable guide mounted thereon, aball-and-socket joint in the discharge-pipe axially in line with saidguide, and a beam or the like slidable through said guide having itsforward end fixed to the excavator-heat, cables and winding-drumswhereby the beam and excavator-float are moved forward and back withrelation to the guide, a slidable telescopic joint in the discharge-pipeanterior to the telescopic joint, whereby said pipe is lengthened inunison with the forward movements of the excavator.

10. In a dredger, a float having a ladder hinged to the front, anexcavator carried thereon, suction and discharge pipes by which theexcavated material is conveyed rearwardly from the float, a second fioathaving a turnable guide mounted thereon, a ball-and-socket j ointin thedischarge-pipe axially in line with the guide, a telescopic section inthe discharge-pipe anterior to said joint, cables and IOO Iif)

winding-drums whereby the excavator and its float are advanced orretracted with relation to the guide-carrying float, spuds or anchors bywhich said loat is fixed during the advance or retraction of theexcavator, spuds or anchors by which the excavator-float may be anchoredWhile the guide-oat is releasedl and moved up to the rear of theexcavatorloat after a cut has been completed, and a guided telescopicsection of the dischargepipe carried upon the' rear float, whereby theadvance of said float is permitted without breaking the continuity ofthe pipe. I

11. In a dredger, a 'float having a ladder hinged to the front, one ormore excavators mounted upon a shaft journaled transversely across thefront of the ladder, means for moving the float and the excavator in aforward direction away from and in line with a fixed point during thecutting operation, and toward said point after the completion of eachcut, and a suction-pipe carried upon the ladder and having a mouth madedivergent horizontally and coincident with and contiguous to theexcavators.

12. In a dredger, a iioat having a ladder hinged to the front, one ormore excavators mounted upon a shaft journaled transversely across thefront of the ladder, mechanism by which power is transmitted l to rotatesaid shaft and excavators, and means for advancing the Iioat andexcavators in the longitudinal line of the dredge so as to make a directforward cut at each advance, a suction-pipe carried upon the ladderhaving divergent branches at the lower end, said branches having mouthsin the form of flattened cones or hoppers divergent from the branchestoward the front and contiguous to the excavator.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

RAYMOND A. PERRYZ Vitnes'ses:

S. H. NoURsn, CHAs. E. TowNsEND.

